ETHICS AND CODE OF CONDUCT

VALUES AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS

Values and principles

The guiding principles of the Code of Conduct for the School of Public Policy and Entrepreneurship are as follows:

Staff shall fulfill their lawful obligation to the School with professionalism, integrity and loyalty;
In discharging their duties, staff shall respect the rights and interests of the clients and customers and the public;
Staff shall discharge their duties efficiently, objectively and honestly whilst upholding the principle of customer care to maintain public confidence in the School; and
Staff shall not bring the name of the School into disrepute through their conduct at the work place or in private.

Application of values

The following values shall be observed by all members of staff of the School:

Integrity

A member of staff shall practice values of honesty, sincerity and integrity in all matters. In the SPPED this means putting the obligations of the School above one’s own personal interests and conducting oneself in a manner that is above reproach.

A member of staff shall observe the highest standard of integrity and demonstrate the following: (i) fulfill their duties and obligations responsibly; (ii) always act in a way that is professional and that deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom they have dealings; (iii) carry out their fiduciary obligations responsibly (that is, make sure that the School’s money and other resources are used properly and efficiently); (iv) keep accurate official records and handle information as openly as possible within the policy framework of the School; and (v) comply with the laws of Ghana and other jurisdictions with whom the School does business.

Confidentiality

A member of staff shall not divulge secret privileged information to a third party including limited or restricted information, e.g. the ethical principle or legal right that a physician or other health professional will hold secret or information relating to a patient, unless the patient gives consent permitting disclosure.

Justice

A member of staff shall always pursue justice in a manner that is fair, impartial, morally upright in upholding the neutrality of a cause.

Honesty

This means honor, integrity, probity and uprightness of character or action. Honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way. It suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one’s profession, calling, or position. Be truthful, acting in good faith and declaring all private interests relating to one’s public duties.

Conflict of Interest

To possess high accountability in performing duties, without abusing power and position for self-gain or the benefit of other interested parties.

Excellence

A member of staff shall constantly endeavor to have exceptional knowledge, creativity and innovation as well as team spirit.

Open Accountability

This means staff shall be responsible and accountable to the School and the public for the decisions and actions and submitting to whatever scrutiny is appropriate.

Devotion to Duty

This means staff shall always maintain absolute and unstinting devotion towards duties and responsibilities.

Exemplary Behavior

This means staff shall treat all members of the public with respect and courtesy and, always behave in a manner that upholds the rich traditions of the School.

Objectivity

This means staff shall be open and base one’s advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of evidence and not on personal interest. Staff shall provide information and advice based on evidence, and accurately present the options and facts; take decisions on the merits of the case and take due account of expert and professional advice. However, they must not ignore inconvenient facts or relevant considerations when providing advice or making decisions and not frustrate the implementation of policies once decisions are taken by declining to take, or abstaining from, action which flows from those decisions.

Respect

This means staff shall treat others with the sensitivity, courtesy and understanding that one would wish for themselves, and recognizing that everyone has something to offer. Official power shall be exercised with respect for the freedom and equality of every person.

Empathy

This means staff shall have ability to understand and share the feelings, emotions or experiences of others especially the vulnerable and weaker sections of the School community and society at large.

Standards of Behavior

At the individual personal level, a member of staff shall:

Observe official working hours and shall not be absent from work without proper authorization or reasonable cause;
Always be punctual to work;
Ensure familiarity with the laws and regulations in force and apply them without any abuse or violation or neglect;
Quest to improve performance and develop their profession in the latest developments in the field of work and submit proposals that would improve the working methods and raise the level of performance of members of SPPED community, and assist in providing a safe and healthy working environment;
If a member of a professional body, observe the ethical and professional requirements of that body;
Refrain from any acts or practices that violate morality and ethical conduct;
Fulfill all receivables financial obligations of the School in accordance with the policies and regulations of the School;
Respect the privacy of individuals;
Have due regard for the safety of colleagues at the workplace;
Maintain personal hygiene, dress in respectable attire in accordance with the acceptable norms of the School;
Conduct functions and tasks with due honesty, integrity, professional accuracy and impartiality serving the goals and purposes of the School and public interest;
Respect rights and interests of others with no exceptions, dealing with clients, customers and the public respectfully, tactfully, impartially and objectively without any discrimination based on nationality, race, gender, tribe, clan, political beliefs and affiliation, social position, age, disability or physical status, HIV/AIDS status or any other form of discrimination;
Deal respectfully, tactfully and credibly with colleagues;
Develop the capacities of staff, assist and motivate them to improve their performance;
Not in the performance of his or her duties (a) act as an agent of a political party; and (b) show support for or oppose any political party or candidate in an election;
Not consume alcoholic beverages while on duty;
Not engage in gambling by any means at the workplace;
Not smoke in offices or non-designated smoking areas;
Not cause distress to their colleagues, or otherwise contribute to disruption of the working atmosphere in the workplace;
Not sexually harass, bully or otherwise intimidate a colleague member of staff student or a member of the Sexual harassment in this context shall be as stipulated in the School’s sexual harassment policy;
Not take part in the creation and distribution of pornography; and
Not condone any action that adversely affects public confidence in the School.

In dealing with the public a member of staff shall:

Be polite, courteous and respectful to the public. He/she shall treat members of the public with fairness and equity;
Address the needs of any member of the public regardless of the status of the person;
Not disclose to the public any information that is classified, restricted, limited or confidential; and
Respect the confidential nature of certain information disclosed to them by members of the public for procedural purposes.

In dealing with colleagues, a member of staff shall:

Respect and be sincere with colleagues, maintaining good and friendly relations relations with them, without distinction carefully respect their privacy and refrain from exploiting any information pertaining to their own lives for purposes of abuse;
Cooperate with colleagues and share their opinions of high professionalism and objectivity. Wherever possible, assist colleagues in solving problems they face in employment, and ensure the dissemination of positive trends among colleagues to help improve the performance of work and improve the working environment and the institutional culture of the School; and
Refrain from any acts or practices or immoral acts violating public morality and ethical conduct.

In dealing with superiors, a member of staff shall:

Strictly enforce the directives and instructions of their managers, unless those directives and instructions are in violation of the School’s policy, then the employee shall inform the Director of Corporate Services in writing;
Respect and not attempt to gain any preferential treatment by methods of flattery or through deception or through favoritism;
Not deceive or mislead their superiors, and refrain from concealing information related to their work aimed at influencing the decisions taken, or obstruction of work, and shall cooperate with their superiors and provide opinion, advice and expertise in the interest of work; and
Inform their superior about any abuse or violation or difficulties encountered in the workplace.

In dealing with subordinates, a member of staff shall:

Develop the capacity of their subordinates, motivate and help them to improve their performance, and be a good example for them at the workplace;
Transfer knowledge and skills to their subordinates and encourage them to increase information exchange and transfer of skills, knowledge and technology among members of the School’s professional and academic networks;
Supervise their subordinates and account for their actions, assess their performance objectively and impartially and strive to provide training and development opportunities for them in accordance with policies of the School;
Reject any pressure from a third party to deal with the subordinate in any preferential treatment;
Respect their subordinates’ rights and cooperate with them with high professionalism without favoritism or discrimination; and
Commit to non-retaliatory behavior in a situation where subordinates report to higher authority that orders, or directives issued by the superior are in violation of the School’s policies.

Conflict of Interest

A member of staff shall avoid situations where personal interest conflict with his or her official position;
A member of staff whose personal interest conflicts with his/her official duties shall declare such interest to the Director of Corporate Services who shall in turn instruct, or refer the matter to the appropriate authority to act; and
A member of staff who has a personal interest in any matter shall not participate in deliberations relating to the matter.

Nepotism

A member of staff shall not practice nepotism in the School and shall not favor relatives, friends, or associates in decision-making or provision of services

Receiving Gifts, Grants and Donations

A member of staff shall not use his or her office to enrich himself or herself
A member of staff shall not accept gifts or favors where these may influence or may be seen to influence his/her decisions
A member of staff may, however receive gifts if they are given to him/her in official capacity and such gifts shall be declared as official and given to the School;
A member of staff may receive grants and donations for educational, literacy, research, community service and or for corporate social responsibility which shall be considered official grants or donations and as such shall be given to the School; and
A member of staff shall not use his or her office to solicit, collect or induce bribes or favors.

Procurement of Goods and Services

A member of staff charged with the responsibility of procuring goods and services on behalf of the School shall exercise prudence and achieve value for money in accordance with the procurement policies of the School.

Environmental Protection and Health and Occupational safety

A member of staff shall promote all School policies regarding protection of the environment;
A member of staff shall promote interventions to mitigate adverse effects of climate change; and
A member of staff shall promote School policies regarding occupational health and safety for employees, students, faculty and members of the public.

Misuse of School Property

A member of staff shall ensure that School property entrusted to his/her care is adequately protected from misuse; and
A member of staff shall ensure that school property is always used for its intended purpose.

Intellectual Fraud and Falsification

A member of staff shall not engage in acts of cheating, plagiarism and impersonation in the production of academic materials and publication;
A member of staff shall not reproduce any School documents and sell the same for personal gain; and
A member of staff shall not falsify documents or records of any kind.

Examinations

A member of staff who has access to examination materials shall not avail any part of the information to examination candidates or any other person;
A member of staff shall not tamper with examination documents or any other materials associated with the examinations; and
A member of staff who is involved in grading continuous assessment tests shall uphold the high values of integrity, objectivity and professionalism in the assessment and scoring of candidates.

Confidentiality

A member of staff with access to confidential information shall not disclose such information without authority; and
A member of staff shall ensure that records including data are regularly updated and are always protected.

ENFORCEMENT OF THIS CODE

All members of staff shall always comply with all provisions of this code of conduct;
There shall be established a Disciplinary Committee which shall receive complaints and make determination in accordance with the School’s policies and regulations;
The decisions of the Committee shall be binding; and
A member of staff who is not satisfied with the Committee’s decisions may appeal to the Appeals Committee within fourteen (14) working days.